In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada, I am once again calling on my colleagues in Congress to act to prevent future gun violence and mass shootings.

The Las Vegas shooting was so deadly because of a device known as a bump stock which significantly increases the firing rate of semi-automatic weapons. Machine guns and fully automatic weapons have been banned for decades and any device that makes a semi-automatic weapon into a military-grade weapon should be outlawed.

In March 2013, I sent a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) asking the agency to ban any gun product which allows for semiautomatic assault rifles to function as fully automatic. In April 2013, ATF sent a response stating that they do not “have the authority to restrict their [bump-fire stocks] lawful possession, use or transfer.”

I sent a letter to Speaker Ryan this week to make him aware of my 2013 exchange with the ATF and to urge him to bring legislation banning bump stocks to the floor of the House for a vote. Two separate pieces of legislation have been introduced that would ban the manufacture, sale, transfer, or possession of bump stocks or other devices that accelerate the rate of fire for semi-automatic rifles, both of which I support.

We cannot leave it to the ATF to make a regulatory fix when the agency does not believe they have the authority to do so. Congress needs to act to make the law crystal clear and ban these dangerous products once and for all.

OPEN ENROLLMENT STARTS NOVEMBER 1

Open enrollment for 2018 Colorado health insurance coverage will begin on November 1, 2017 and end on January 12, 2018. However, to ensure you have coverage starting January 1, 2018, consumers need to secure coverage by December 15, 2017. If you sign up for coverage between December 15, 2017 and January 12, 2018, your coverage will not take effect until February 1, 2018.

In states that use Healthcare.gov as their health insurance exchange, the federal government has set December 15, 2017 as the end date for open enrollment. Since Colorado has its own exchange, Connect for Health Colorado, the state is able to set its own open enrollment period dates. Visit http://connectforhealthco.com/ for more information and get ready for open enrollment.

President Trump continues to undermine the Affordable Care Act and his actions only serve to harm hardworking people who rely on affordable, high-quality health coverage. Rather than sabotaging the existing law, the President – along with Democrats and Republicans – need to work to improve the ACA so it can continue to provide accessible and affordable healthcare for millions of Americans.

SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA

I have serious concerns about escalating tensions with North Korea. North Korea’s recent missile launches and nuclear tests pose a direct threat to our national security as well as global peace and security.

I supported H.R. 3364, the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act, which was signed into law on July 25. H.R. 3364 would require U.S. banks to ensure that accounts are not tied to North Korean entities. I also introduced the bipartisan legislation, Impeding North Korea’s Access to Finance Act, which goes a step further, creating secondary sanctions on financial institutions providing financial services to North Korea. In addition, I signed a letter to the President urging him to adopt a strong, strategic, and steady policy toward North Korea.

Click below for my thoughts on this legislation and the three principles that I believe are important in considering our approach to North Korea.